How to convict a serial killer with star prosecutor Matt Murphy | The Truth of the Matter

In this episode of “The Truth of the Matter,” host Natasha Zouves sits down with prosecutor Matt Murphy, a legal powerhouse with a staggering record: 52 homicide trials, zero losses. Murphy has come face-to-face with some of the most dangerous people alive, including serial killers like Rodney Alcala, the so-called “Dating Game Killer.” Over nearly two decades in the Orange County DA’s elite Homicide Unit, he built a reputation as one of the most formidable prosecutors in the country. Murphy pulls back the curtain on a life spent chasing justice and the toll it takes. In this raw, wide-ranging conversation, he opens up about the cases that haunt him, the moral weight of wielding prosecutorial power and the personal cost of devoting everything to the pursuit of truth. From cold cases cracked wide open to his at times punishing commitment to mastering the craft of murder prosecution, Murphy shares what it really means to walk into court with someone’s life, or death, on the line. #MattMurphy #NatashaZouves #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #TrueCrimeCommunity #MurderCases #Homicide #SerialKillers #RodneyAlcala #DatingGameKiller #ColdCases #SolvedCases #CriminalPsychology #ForensicFiles #InsideTheMind #Prosecutor #CourtroomDrama #GoldenStateKiller #CrimeStories #CrimeDocumentary #LegalAnalysis #TrialStories #NancyGuthrie #LawAndCrime #DarkStories #RealCrime #CrimeTok The Truth of the Matter with Natasha Zouves isn’t just another podcast — it’s a fight to uncover what powerful institutions want hidden. From secret human experiments the government carried out on unsuspecting citizens to toxic cover-ups poisoning communities, Emmy and Murrow Award-winning journalist Natasha Zouves brings you the stories people in power don’t want told. We expose evidence buried in archives, amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced, and hold the powerful accountable. From radioactive “oatmeal experiments” on children, to cancer-causing chemicals destroying farms, to veterans erased from history — these are the stories that matter. This is journalism that refuses to look away. The Truth of the Matter is about transparency and justice for the people left behind. Follow us on Instagram: Instagram: truthofthematterpod Find host Natasha Zouves: Instagram: natashazouves TikTok: natashazouves Facebook: natashanzouves WATCH our original podcast episode with Dave Crete, where he describes the secret missions on the range: Area 51 veterans on getting sick after wor... You can find “The Truth of the Matter” wherever you listen to your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://open.spotify.com/show/2iQ85VH... This podcast is put together by: Ryan Kerr Allie Purser Mia Balbin-Cuesta Richard Bodee Kate Linderman Natasha Zouves Edited by: Maria Morales Salazar NewsNation is your source for fact-based, unbiased news for all America. More from NewsNation: https://www.newsnationnow.com/ Get our app: https://trib.al/TBXgYpp Find us on cable: https://trib.al/YDOpGyG How to watch on TV or streaming: https://trib.al/Vu0Ikij Chapters: 00:00-12:56 – 52 Homicides, Zero Losses: The Story of a Star Prosecutor 12:57-23:34 – Matt Murphy’s Roots 23:35-27:50 – An Addiction to the Job 27:51-32:45 – A Rude Awakening 32:46-40:57 – The First Crime Scene 40:58-43:50 – Matt Murphy’s Notable Cases 43:51-47:49 – Fighting for Victims’ Families 47:50-51:31 – What Makes a Good Detective, Lawyer 51:32-59:59 – “Obsession is a Gift” 1:00:00-1:07:18 – Going Up Against the Dating Game Killer 1:07:19-1:09:53 – Why Do Serial Killers Represent Themselves in Court? 1:09:54-1:12:18 – Defining a Serial Killer 1:12:19-1:16:33 – Dissecting the Golden State Killer 1:16:34-END – How Homicide Prosecutors Keep Going